Atomic Rearrangement
Atomic Rearrangement is a Grade 7 science concept from Amplify Science (California) Chapter 2: Reactions, explaining the atomic-level mechanism of chemical reactions. Atoms are neither destroyed nor converted to other types; instead, chemical bonds break and reform to create new molecular arrangements — like disassembling one LEGO structure and building a new one with the same pieces.
Key Concepts
During a chemical reaction, atoms are not destroyed, nor do they turn into other types of atoms. Instead, they undergo rearrangement .
Chemical bonds between atoms in the reactants break, and new bonds form to create the products.
Common Questions
What happens to atoms during a chemical reaction?
During a chemical reaction, atoms are not created or destroyed. Instead, the chemical bonds between atoms break and new bonds form, rearranging the same atoms into different molecular configurations called products.
Why can atoms not be destroyed in a chemical reaction?
Atoms are the fundamental units of matter and cannot be broken down by ordinary chemical reactions. Conservation of matter requires that all atoms present before a reaction must also be present after, just in different arrangements.
How is a chemical reaction like rearranging LEGO pieces?
Just as the same LEGO pieces can be disassembled from a castle and reassembled into a car, atoms detach from one set of molecular bonds (reactants) and reattach in a new arrangement (products) during a chemical reaction.
What do Grade 7 students learn about atomic rearrangement in Amplify Science?
In Chapter 2 of Amplify Science California Grade 7, students learn that chemical reactions involve atomic rearrangement — bonds break and form to create products — not the creation or destruction of atoms.